Light and Shadow Can't Mix
by Sage of Hyrule
Summary: OneShot. What happens when a light loses its shadow? Twilight Princess spoilers, plus LinkMidna reference. Read at your own leisure.


A/N: One Shot--my sappy depiction of what happened at the end of Twilight Princess. Yes, there will be spoilers. Yes, it's a little Link/Midna-ish, so if you don't like it, well, you have your warning. I wrote this in an attempt to describe the emotions I felt at the end of the game, and how I perceived Link to feel them as well. That being said, enjoy :)

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"Well, I guess this is farewell, huh?"

Midna's melodic voice brought Link back to reality, to where he was standing in front of the Mirror of Twilight. With Zant gone and Ganondorf defeated, Midna was to regain her rightful place as the ruler of the Land of Twilight.

It all seemed so unreal—the battles, his time as a sacred wolf, not knowing whether or not the next day and the next battle would bring peace to the land. Life as a simple farm boy seemed so distant now, like a dream he never really lived at all. So much had changed since that fateful day the shadow beasts attacked his home it was difficult to piece anything together anymore. Still, he felt oddly grateful, for he had made some very special friends throughout his treacherous journeys.

None more so than Midna, he thought. His mind wandered back to their first encounter, her sneering at him through iron bars as he tried desperately to wrap his mind around everything that was happening at the time. She had greatly changed since then, that was for sure. No longer was she taunting and spiteful; she was regal and modest, and Link felt that even her glances were filled with a new warmth he was sure she hadn't experienced before.

Midna wasn't the only one that had changed in their short time together. Link knew that he too had matured—no longer quite so reserved and timid as he was back in the village. There was a new strength burning within him, something he hadn't known he craved until destiny challenged him. Everything he had come against, all of the foes he had taken down, every fear cast aside had come together in his soul, renewing him and opening his eyes to the bright new world that lay ahead. And yet…still, he felt unfulfilled.

Link didn't mean to stare, but he couldn't help himself, for Midna's beauty was as she had said: too much for words. But it wasn't just her looks that captivated him, it was her essence. This was who she really was, this graceful being who held her head high despite the odds against her. He was able to perceive it all along, but seeing it fleshed out as it were was like seeing light for the first time in ages. During their adventure, Link felt something strange developing within him, a part of himself that attached itself to her and refused to let go. He had often wondered if she sensed it too, but pushed it to the back of his mind, focusing on the daunting tasks that had lay ahead. Now though, those thoughts burst forth, and he found himself reverting back to them so frequently he wondered if he weren't losing his mind.

"Well, the princess spoke truly," Midna's gaze captured Link's as her eyes shone with that mischievous glow. "As long as that mirror's around, we could meet again…" She closed her eyes then, and a single bead of light fell—a tear.

"Link, I…" It lingered for a moment, and then with a gentle hand she sent it drifting across the air. Link was so entranced by her that he failed to notice as it floated right past him and into the center of the Mirror of Twilight.

A sharp crack reverberated through the grounds, and Link's heart stopped as all at once he realized what she was planning to do.

_No…_

He tried to speak, but only choked on his words as his emotions created a whirlwind within him, his insides twisting and tangling as he raced to think of anything he could do to stop her. But it was too late; Midna was already up on the platform, and in the next instant she was engulfed in a bright light, the Twilight Realm taking her away from him.

"See you later…"

And with that, Link's heart shattered in time with the mirror.

He was numb. All he could do was stare at the rough face of the jagged rock that was—that had been—the only connection between his world and hers. The only link, and she had destroyed it.

_Why..?_

What was he now, without her? She had given him a reason to fight, a reason to stand up to the impossible odds he had been faced with, and now she was gone. All of a sudden he felt ridiculous for believing that somehow, some way, things could have worked out.

_Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know._ Midna's words struck him, and only then did he realize how right she was. They were two completely different souls, from completely different worlds. Blessed by the gods as he may have been, it certainly didn't grant him the possibility of overcoming that. What could he do..?

He barely noticed the gentle hand on his shoulder, and turned to look into the solemn eyes of Princess Zelda. They were sympathetic—she must have known how torn he was. Without a word he turned, down the steps to the entrance of the arena, not looking back once.

Link had returned to Ordon in an attempt to restart his life where he had left off. The children and Ilia had returned home, and everything was as it had been in the sleepy village. But Link was restless. Nothing he did could mend his soul, and he knew that no matter how hard he tried he could never go back to the way things once were. He was a completely different person now, hardened by the battles he fought—a warrior. Goddesses knew he did his best to move on, but it was a hopeless cause.

One day, without a word to anyone, Link was gone. He had taken Epona and disappeared, leaving not the slightest trace of where he was going or why. Ilia had seen him depart, standing silently at the entrance to the forest as she watched him vanish into the thick trees.

Link knew not what he would find, but something within was driving him. Light cannot exist without shadow, and he would chase his to the ends of the earth if that's what it took to see her again. No matter what.

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A/N: Well there you have it. I feel the ending kind of messed it up, but that's how it wanted to be written. This is a one-shot, and I don't intend to extend it into a full-blown story, as my motivation with that sort of thing is lacking. I really hope everyone got something out of it, because it meant a lot to me to write it. Also, I apologize if I overused the dialogue from the game; it seemed appropriate. Comments are always welcomed/appreciated :)


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